Compare three of the best MSFS 2020 world tour routes, with ICAO stops, aircraft range guidance, planning steps and common pitfalls.
The best all-round MSFS 2020 world tour runs London-Keflavik-Goose Bay-North America-Hawaii-Guam-Tokyo-Southeast Asia-Dubai-Cairo-Rome-London. It combines manageable airliner legs with varied scenery and well-spaced airports. For turboprops, use the shorter northern route via Greenland and the Aleutians; for long-haul jets, take the southern route via South America and Oceania.
Which MSFS 2020 world tour route is best?
For most pilots, the classic world circuit offers the best balance of manageable sectors, major airports and changing scenery.
| Route | Best aircraft type | Longest sector | Main appeal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic world circuit | Narrow-body airliner or business jet | About 2,100 nm | Balanced distances and major cities |
| Northern stepping-stone route | Turboprop or light jet | About 900 nm | Frequent stops and remote airports |
| Southern scenic circuit | Long-range airliner | About 2,300 nm | Patagonia, Easter Island and Oceania |
Distances are rounded great-circle estimates; airways, procedures and weather add mileage. All three sequences run broadly westbound from London, but they work equally well in reverse.
1. Classic world circuit
This is our default recommendation for a first MSFS 2020 world tour.
EGLL - BIKF - CYYR - KBOS - KORD - KDEN - KSFO - PHNL - PKMJ - PGUM - RJAA - VHHH - VTBS - VIDP - OMDB - HECA - LGAV - LIRF - EGLL
The route crosses the North Atlantic through Iceland and Goose Bay, traverses North America, then crosses the Pacific through Honolulu, Majuro and Guam. A practical range of roughly 2,500 nm gives useful headroom, although forecast winds still matter on KSFO-PHNL and PHNL-PKMJ.
It suits an A320-class or 737-class airliner, a long-range business jet or another aircraft with comparable usable range. Major hubs dominate the route, so instrument approaches, alternates and ground services are easier to find than on the northern option.
2. Northern stepping-stone route
Choose the northern route when frequent take-offs and landings matter more than covering large distances quickly.
EGLL - EHAM - ENGM - ENBR - BIKF - BGBW - CYFB - CYVP - CYUL - CYQT - CYYC - CYVR - PAJN - PANC - PADU - PASY - UHPP - RJCC - RJTT - RKSI - RCTP - VHHH - VTBS - VECC - VIDP - OPKC - OMDB - OKBK - OJAI - LGAV - LIRF - EGLL
Greenland, northern Canada and the Aleutians keep the ocean crossings below roughly 900 nm. A fast turboprop or light jet is ideal; a piston single will usually need extra intermediate stops in Canada and Europe.
Remote fields introduce the real challenge. Alternates can be far away, weather changes quickly and MSFS ground services are not available everywhere. Confirm how each aircraft will be refuelled before departing, rather than discovering at an isolated ramp that no fuel truck responds.
3. Southern scenic circuit
Choose the southern route for the strongest visual variety and the most demanding oceanic sectors.
EGLL - LPPT - GVAC - SBRF - SBGL - SAEZ - SAWH - SCCI - SCEL - SCIP - NTAA - NZAA - NZCH - YSSY - WADD - WSSS - VABB - OMDB - HECA - LIRF - EGLL
This circuit links Cape Verde, Brazil, Patagonia, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia and Southeast Asia. SCIP-NTAA and NTAA-NZAA are the critical sectors, so use an aircraft with at least roughly 2,700 nm of practical range after allowing for reserves, payload and wind.
Christchurch is included because it is more comfortable for a heavily loaded wide-body than Queenstown. For the mountain scenery, fly NZAA-NZQN-NZCH as a lighter regional detour rather than forcing a fuel-heavy long-range aircraft into NZQN.
Can I add scenic detours without breaking the route?
Yes; retain the same regional entry and exit hubs, then insert shorter local sectors between them.
- Use EHAM-ENGM-ENBR-BIKF to add Norway to the northern crossing.
- Replace KDEN-KSFO with KDEN-KASE-KLAS-KSFO for the Rockies and desert Southwest.
- Keep SAEZ-SAWH-SCCI-SCEL for the full Patagonia section.
- Expand NZAA-NZCH into NZAA-NZQN-NZCH for a Queenstown approach.
Our collection of regional airport pairs chosen for their scenery provides further legs in Norway, Hawaii, Patagonia and New Zealand that can be inserted without redesigning the whole circuit.
How do I choose an aircraft for an MSFS world tour?
Range is the first filter, but runway requirements and preferred flight duration decide which aircraft will remain enjoyable after dozens of sectors.
Do not treat published maximum range as usable route range. Payload, climb, reserves and headwinds reduce it. For a simple simulator margin, select an aircraft whose practical range is at least roughly 20 percent above the longest planned leg, then calculate fuel for each individual flight.
- Piston aircraft: use the northern route and add intermediate stops.
- Turboprops and light jets: use the northern route as written.
- Narrow-body airliners: use the classic circuit and watch Pacific-sector winds.
- Long-range airliners: use the southern circuit, but check runway performance before scenic detours.
For more detail on range, speed and runway trade-offs, see our comparison of aircraft suited to round-the-world flying.
How should I plan and save a multi-leg world tour?
Save every sector as a separate flight plan rather than building one enormous plan around the globe.
- Choose the route and direction. Reverse the sequence if seasonal winds make the longest ocean sectors more practical in the opposite direction.
- Create one plan per sector. Use clear names such as
01_EGLL_BIKF.plnand02_BIKF_CYYR.pln. Our comparison of route-planning tools and export methods explains when the World Map or a dedicated planner is the better choice. - Validate both airports. Check runway length, surface, lighting, available approaches and an alternate before flying. Do not assume every airport represented in the simulator supports the same services.
- Recalculate fuel for every departure. Winds and payload change; copying the previous leg's fuel percentage is a common cause of avoidable diversions.
- Track progress separately. Keep a short list of completed ICAO pairs. The MSFS logbook is useful, but it is not a dependable project manager for a tour that may span many sessions.
World Updates are optional rather than a route requirement. Before installing several at once, check which regional scenery packs justify their storage cost.
What mistakes commonly spoil an MSFS 2020 world tour?
Most failed tours come from poor sector planning, not difficult flying.
- Using one global flight plan: procedures become awkward to edit and resuming midway is needlessly difficult. Split it into individual sectors.
- Flying at maximum quoted range: a headwind or missed approach can consume the margin. Choose shorter stops or a longer-range aircraft.
- Hard-coding a runway days ahead: live weather may favour the opposite direction. Select the arrival and approach shortly before departure.
- Ignoring alternates: this is especially risky around Greenland, the Aleutians, Easter Island and the central Pacific.
- Assuming remote ground services will work: verify refuelling before departure and know how your chosen realism settings permit fuel to be added.
- Forgetting daylight: high-latitude winter sectors can be dark for much of the day. Adjust the departure time if seeing the terrain is part of the plan.